SACAA Warns: 200 Pilots and Crew Could Be Flying Illegally Due to Certification Issues
SACAA raised worries about 200 pilots and understudies in South Africa boarding pilot crew who may be practicing illegally because of charging lapses in their certifications. This, in turn, has promoted debate on the compliance and recertification of the most basic licenses of the aviation industry.
What is SACAA?
SACAA is the governing body for the civil aviation system in South Africa. It’s their main objective in all efforts related to civil aviation activities in the country. The SACAA has mandates to control and supervise compliance with civil aviation regulations including the qualification of aviation professionals, such as pilots, air traffic controllers, mechanics and flight attendants.
As the chief administrator of the aviation sector, it is inherent upon SAA/IECADC that all airlines, every pilot and all the people who work in aviation, adhere to the rules and regulations whose jurisdiction cuts across the nations of the world. Control of the issuance processes for certifications and licenses is crucial in ensuring the safe and efficient running of the aviation industry.
Pilots Licensing Standards
To fly an airplane in South Africa, the pilots must hold valid licenses as well as certification that is issued or approved by the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA). The most common types of licenses include:
Private Pilot License (PPL): This type of license allows pilots to operate an airplane for private or personal use. There’s a requirement of a certain number of flying hours and some theoretical and practical tests.
Commercial Pilot License CPL: The significant focus of this certificate enables the holder to pilot an aircraft engaged in commerce. More flight time, intense training and advanced exams are required compared to the PPL.
Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL): Summary The highest form of ATPL it is the license for piloting large commercial aircraft and directs the ATPL itself. It requires a lot of flight hours and a lot of tests.
Apart from these licenses, the pilots should be able also have and adequately hold all valid medical certificates which should also be renewed from time to time depending on the age and health of the pilot. Likely, failure to renew such certification or fulfill a re-certification training requirement can lead to the action of either or both suspending or revocation of such licenses by the aviation management.
Certification Lapses Leading to Illegal Operations
According to SACAA, as many as 200 pilots and members of the crew might be on active duty even though their licenses have expired or have ‘gone’ out of circulation. This figure has raised eyebrows over the health of safety of the passengers.
Expired or Non-Renewed Licenses: A good number of licenses allows practitioners to engage sanely a profession offered in khoan/t a fediting time. Mwakanalikam huyo masabo yay iv/t mhako ot budding, sacaa thould hu tongo tocjiats, nakish tantnganya hunaona and also the standards, i.e. fit and skill wise and even mentally psychos.
Lapsed Medical Certifications: But am given to understand that either the captains or their crew are required to undergo and pass specific medical examinations periodically. In the process of exercising their profession, medical certificates expired. This phenomenon cut across all aviation activities and was particularly accentuated by the COVID-19 pandemic where many personnel returned without the required medical assessments.
Training and Currency Requirements: All pilots should undergo recurrent training, proficiency checks, or both for growth and rehabilitation measures toward safe conduct of aircraft operations. It is quite usual for these to exist at various levels of overlap and possible subsequent certification gaps sometimes as in taking undue occupation training or prolonged sick leave of absence if any when these conditions are not met and at times even voided.
COVID-19 Impact: Apart from all the problems and challenges enumerated above, a lot more has been added due to this pandemic. The travel bans, stay-at-home orders or the consequences of the nonoperational aviation activities have inhibited the pursuit of renewal of various licenses by most pilots leading to the accumulation of unprocessed certifications.
Responses from SACAA and Possible Follow-up Actions
SACAA has voiced its concern regarding the safety of the general public owing to such irregularities as these certification lapses and has set out to investigate the concern. To this effect, the authority has taken decisions to cease the affected pilots and crew members from flying discharge pending undergoing current certification processes.
SACAA has further requested weeks that air carriers and aviation companies more fully carry their legal responsibilities and defend their staffs against any violations of the laws on certification. The authority is seeking to impose more punitive measures including seeking to escalate the usual audits and monitoring so as not to allow any unauthorized persons to operate in the aviation industry.
Consequences have been put in place to curb all these lapses in the certification process for in their absence; there will be grave consequences on the involved airlines as well as the illegality of flying on the individuals themselves. SACAA has underlined that no shrinking in the enforcement of the highest safety of aviation within the geographical boundaries of South Africa will be experienced.
